Container



B. J. TRAYNOR June 4, 1968 CONTAINER Filed Jan. 7, 1966 United States Patent O 3,386,613 CONTAINER Bernard J. Traynor, Hometown, Ill., assigner to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 519,380 8 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to an easy opening container which is particularly adapted for dispensing liquids. The container has an end which is secured thereto by means of a seam which defines a peripheral projection. The container end is provided with a tear strip which remains attached to the end at all times and the tear strip is provided at the starting end thereof with a lever to effect the initial rupture and the tearing of Vthe container end. The tear strip is so proportioned relative to the container end and to the lever whereby the lever is engageable beneath the projection and lockable behind the projection so as to retain the lever and the 4tear strip in an out of the way position when the container is opened.

-sun* This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in containers, and more particularly lto a novel container of the easy opening type.

At the present time many types of easy opening containers are available. However, all of the easy opening containers have a tear strip which is completely torn from the remainder thereof. To this tear strip there is normally attached a pull tab. Unfortunately, normally after the tear strip is torn from a container in the opening thereof, the tear strip is indiscriminately discarded. Not only are the tear strips and attached pull tabs unsightly, but also the tear strips have sharp raw edges on Which persons may be readily cut.

It is a primary object of this invention to overcome the deficiencies of existing easy opening containers by forming the tear strip of an easy opening container in -a manner wherein it is not detachable in the opening of the container and means are provided for storing the same in an ou-t-of-the-way position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel container having a tear strip with one end thereof perinanently attached thereto, and the opposite end of the tear strip having a pull tab attached thereto, the pull tab having means for locking beneath a projection on the container to retain the strip and the pull tab in a stored position.

A further object of this invention is to provide -a novel container wherein the end of the container is provided with a tear strip which extends across a major portion thereof and the tear strip has a starting end and a terminal end with the terminal end being permanently secured to the container end and the tear strip starting end having attached thereto a pull tab to facilitate the tearing of the tear strip from tht remainder of the container end, and the relative proportions of the container end, the tear strip and the pull tab being such that the pull tab may be locked beneath a peripheral projection on the container when the tear strip is in a full open position with the tear strip substantially tensioned so that the tear strip and the pull tab are stored when the container is opened.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by a reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top perspective View of a container formed in accordance with this: invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the end of the container in FIGURE 1 and shows the specic details of the easy opening feature thereof.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 3 and shows the manner in which the initial rupture between the tear strip and the remainder of the container end is accomplished.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the upper portion of the container of FIG- URE l and shows the tear strip as it approaches its fully open position and the pull tab atached lthere-to about to be locked beneath the peripheral projection of the container.

FIGURE `6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 and shows the pull tab and tear strip in their stored positions.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary top perspective View of the container of FIGURE l in its fully open position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated a container for-med in accordance with this invention and generally referred to by the numeral 10. The container is preferably in the form of a can having an end secured `thereto by means of a double seam and the illustrated container 10 is of this nature. 'Ihe container or can 10 includes a conventional can body 11 to which there is secured a can end 12 formed in accordance with this invention. The can end 12 is secured to the can body 11 by means of a conventional double seam 13.

The can end 12 has an end panel '14 of' which the central portion thereof is in the form of a tear strip 15. The tear strip 15 is defined by a score line 17 which extends along the opposite sides and starting end of the tear strip 15. The terminal end of the tear strip 15 is permanently secured to the remainder of the end panel 14 and the two ends of the score line 17 lterminate in spaced relation at opposite sides of the terminal end of the tear strip 15.`

In order to facilitate the tearing of the strip 15 from the end panel 16, the starting end of the tear strip 15 is provided with a pull tab which is generally referred to by the numeral 18. The pull tab 18 is formed of a single length of wire which is bent to have a generally rectangular outline. The wire, which is referred to by the numeral 19, includes a first end 20 and a pair of sides 21 and 22. The sides 21 and 22 are reversely folded upon themselves as at 23 and 24 to define a pair of transversely spaced fulcrums 25. The shaped wire 19 has a second end 26 which extends from the reversely folded portions 23 and 24. The second end 26 normally will be formed by the two terminal end portions of the wire 19 with the juncture between the end portions of the wire 19, which juncture is referred to by the numeral 27, occurring at substantially the center of the end 26.

The pull tab 18 also includes a connecting strap 28. One end of the connecting strap 28 is relatively wide and rolled upon itself to define a `sleeve 29. The sleeve 29 receives the end 26 of the wire 19 and hingedly connects the wire member to the strap 28. The opposite end ot' the strap 28 is rigidly secured to the starting end of the tear strip 15 by means of a rivet 30 which is integrally formed with the tear strip 15. At this time it is pointed out that the starting end of the tear strip 15 is pointed to facilitate the initial rupture of the end panel 14.

When it is desired to open the can 1'0', an upwardly directed force is applied to the end 20 of the wire member 19 in the manner shown in FIGURE 4. As `the wire member 19 pivots relative to the connecting strap 2S, the

fulcrums 25 bear downwardly against a suppor-ting portion of the end panel 14 and an upwardly directed force is applied to the tear strip 15 through the end 26 of the wire member 19, the connecting strap 28 and the rivet 30. A sufiicient lifting force may be readily exerted on the tear strip 15 in this manner to effect the initial rupture of the starting end of the tear strip 15 from the remainder of the end panel 14. The condition of the can end 12 after this initial rupture occurs is clearly shown in FIG- URE 4.

After the initial rupture of the end panel 14 occurs, the pull tab 18 is moved in the direction of the arrow 31 in FIGURE 4 to simultaneously reverse the fold of the tear strip 15 back up on itself and to tear the tear strip from the end panel 14 along the score line 17. After the tearing of the tear strip 15 reaches the position shown in FIG- URE 5, the fulcrums of the wire member 19 are engaged with the double seam 13 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5 and the wire member 19 is swung outwardly and downwardly as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 5. The fulcrums 25 pivot beneath the double seam 13 and the tear strip 15 is first drawn-outwardly and then downwardly until the wire member 19 assumes a substantially vertical position alongside the can body 11. When the wire member 19 reaches this position, as is shown in FIGURE 6, the tearing of the tear strip 15 relative -to the end panel 14 is completed. The tear strip is now in its stored position and a dispensing opening 32 is formed in the can end 12.

It is to be noted that the distance between the connection of `the tear strip to the pull tab and the terminal end of the tear strip is substantially equal to the total of the distance from the tear strip terminal end to the exterior surface of the double seam, the axial dimension of the double seam, and the distance from the fulcrums to the connection between the tear strip and the pull tab. In this manner, tensioning of the tear strip in the fully opened condition of the can 10 is assured.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor variations may be made in the container construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a container body having a closed end and a peripheral projection at said closed end, a tear strip in said container end having a star-ting end and a terminal end, said tear strip terminal end being permanently attached to the remainder of said container end,

and a pull tab secured to said tear strip starting end, said pull tab having means for locking said pull tab behind said peripheral projection in the full open position of said tear strip whereby said tear strip and said pull tab may be stored when said container is opened.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said pull tab is in the form of a lever pivotally connected to said tear strip.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein said pull tab is in the form of a lever pivotally connected to said tear strip and includes transversely spaced fulcrum means for first engaging with said container end to effect lthe initial rupture of said container end around said pull tab starting end and then engaging beneath said peripheral projection to effect a final tearing of said tear strip.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein the length of said tear strip between said tear strip terminal end and the connection between said tear strip and said pull tab is substantially equal to the total of the distance from said tear strip terminal end to the exterior of said peripheral projection, the axial dimension of said peripheral projection, and the distance from the connection between said tear strip and said pull tab to the extremities of said fulcrums.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein said container is a can and said peripheral projection is a seam between the body of said can and an end seamed thereto.

46. The container of claim 1 wherein said pull tab is for-med of a single length of wire bent to a generally rectangular configuration and having one end in a recessed position and a pair of reversely bent fulcrum forming portions projecting therefrom in transversely spaced relation.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein a sleeve rigidly secured to said tear strip receives said pull tab one end and hingedly mounts said pull tab.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein said pull tab means for locking said pull tab behind said peripheral projection is engageable with the underside of said peripheral projection and wherein said pull tab is positioned entirely beneath said peripheral projection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS `3,327,891 6/ 1967 Smyth 220-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,438 4/1938v Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE T. HALL, Examiner. 

